How to Type Emojis & Symbols on Windows

Last updated: August 2, 2025

Learn to type emojis, symbols (©™°€→), kaomoji, and special characters using the Windows emoji picker, alt codes, and Character Map.

Overview

Press one shortcut to access 3,000+ emojis, symbols, and kaomoji built right into Windows.

What Windows' built-in symbol and emoji input actually is

Windows has a built-in way to insert emojis, symbols, and special characters directly while you're typing, without leaving whatever you're working in — a picker that pops up on demand and lets you find and drop in exactly the character you need, from emoji to accented letters to symbols that aren't on a standard keyboard.

Most people don't know it's there, so they either avoid using these characters entirely or go hunting for workarounds — copying symbols from a webpage, for instance — when a built-in tool covering nearly all of it already exists inside Windows itself.

Signs this would actually help you

You've wanted to add an emoji or symbol but weren't sure how, on a computer, without a phone keyboard
You regularly copy a special character (like an accent mark or a currency symbol) from somewhere else because you don't know another way
You write in more than one language and need characters your keyboard doesn't show
You didn't know Windows had anything like this built in at all

How serious is it?

Usually minor

There's nothing to fix here — this is about a feature that already exists, not a problem.

Worth taking seriously

Not applicable — this is informational, not diagnostic.

Why this built-in tool stays hidden for so many people

Because it's tucked away and only appears when you go looking for it, most people never stumble onto it by accident the way they discover more visible features — so a genuinely useful, no-cost tool sits unused while people find workarounds instead.

Making it easy to find exactly when you need it — instead of leaving it as one of Windows' better-kept secrets — is what WindowsHelper is being built to do.

What this helps with

What to expect: Easy difficulty • usually about 1-2 minutes.

Topics covered

how to emoji keyboard symbols special characters kaomoji

This is one of 45 How To Guides fixes in the WindowsHelper library. The full step-by-step fix for this is in the WindowsHelper app.

Coming soon in the app

The full step-by-step fix for this is in the WindowsHelper phone app — coming soon, no price announced yet. The free PC Companion (available now) is the piece that connects your phone to your PC.

🔔 Get notified at launch

Common questions

Do I need a phone to type emojis on a PC?

No — Windows has its own built-in way to insert emojis directly while typing on a keyboard, without needing a phone at all.

Can I type accented letters or symbols not on my keyboard this way?

Yes — the same built-in tool covers a wide range of symbols and special characters, not just emoji, which is useful for writing in other languages or adding characters your keyboard doesn't show.

Does this work in every app?

It works in most places where you can type text, since it's built into Windows itself rather than any one specific app.

Is there a cost or download involved?

No — it's already built into Windows; there's nothing to install or pay for to use it.

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You might also run into

Keyboard Typing Wrong Characters?
Press @ but get " instead? Numpad outputs letters? Apostrophe types é? Your keyboard's not broken — Windows just thinks you're on a different layout. Five minutes to get every key right again.

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